here is list of rivals top assistants in college football

1. Gus MalzahnCURRENT JOB: Auburn offensive coordinator THE BUZZ: In 2005, Malzahn was coaching Springdale (Ark.) High. Five years later, he's the hottest assistant coach in America. Every offense he touches, Malzahn revs up. And he has helped develop a scheme that has made Cameron Newton the best player in the nation.

2. Kirby SmartCURRENT JOB: Alabama defensive coordinator THE BUZZ: The son of a coach, the former Georgia safety is one of the nation's hottest stars. And working for defensive mastermind Nick Saban has only accentuated Smart's status.

3. Dana HolgorsenCURRENT JOB: Oklahoma State offensive coordinator THE BUZZ: Holgorsen was hired away from Houston and has amped up the Cowboys attack. The Cowboys are ultra-productive despite having a rebuilt offense this season.

4. Will MuschampCURRENT JOB: Texas defensive coordinator THE BUZZ: The Longhorns thought so much of him that they made him the coach-in-waiting and pay him $900,000 per season. That makes Muschamp the nation's highest-paid assistant not named Monte Kiffin. Nick Saban has groomed Muschamp, and it shows. Muschamp's defenses play smart, and his players feed off his chest-bumping energy.

5. Jim McElwainCURRENT JOB: Alabama offensive coordinator THE BUZZ: The personable McElwain has done a good job updating the Tide offense with some sophisticated formations and passing schemes since he was hired from Fresno State. He's a bright mind and hard worker who is ready for the next step.

6. Kevin WilsonCURRENT JOB: Oklahoma offensive coordinator THE BUZZ: He has pushed the buttons on some of the nation's best attacks. Remember the 2008 Sooners offense? The 2000 Northwestern attack? Few scheme as well as Wilson, who has come close to landing a few head-coaching jobs.

7. Mark StoopsCURRENT JOB: Florida State defensive coordinator THE BUZZ: In one season in Tallahassee, the youngest Stoops has further enhanced his reputation as a rising star by turning a soft unit into an aggressive and smart defense that thrives on making big plays.

8. Bud FosterCURRENT JOB: Virginia Tech defensive coordinator. THE BUZZ: He already should be a head coach, as Foster arguably is the nation's top defensive coordinator. He has had sniffs in the past, most notably at Kentucky and Clemson But for now, Foster remains by the side of Frank Beamer, where he has been dating to their days at Murray State.

9. Don TreadwellCURRENT JOB: Michigan State offensive coordinator THE BUZZ: He has an innate ability to get the most out of his players. And Treadwell excelled while leading the Spartans when Mark Dantonio was recovering from a heart attack.

10. Shawn WatsonCURRENT JOB: Nebraska offensive coordinator THE BUZZ: He had a failed run as coach of Southern Illinois in the mid-1990s, but Watson has rehabbed his image and emerged as an innovative play-caller. Bo Pelini thought so much of Watson that he kept him when he replaced Bill Callahan.

11. Brent VenablesCURRENT JOB: Oklahoma defensive coordinator THE BUZZ: A product of the Bill Snyder coaching tree, Venables has shown an knack of developing schemes around the strengths of his personnel. He's smart and intense.

12. Paul ChrystCURRENT JOB: Wisconsin offensive coordinator THE BUZZ: The Badgers aren't just a plodding offense. And they have the calm and cool Chryst to thank. Bret Bielema almost lost Chryst to the Dallas Cowboys a few years ago. He also has interviewed for several head-coaching jobs in recent years.

13. Frank CignettiCURRENT JOB: Pitt offensive coordinator THE BUZZ: The son of a coach, Cignetti has built a diverse resume that has seen him work in the NFL, in the WAC, Pac-10, ACC and now Big East. He has breathed life into the Panthers' offense and made a solid quarterback out of Bill Stull last season. Now, he's on the verge of doing the same with Tino Sunseri.

14. James FranklinCURRENT JOB: Maryland offensive coordinator THE BUZZ: The smart and dynamic Franklin already is the coach-in-waiting in College Park. He has accentuated his resume by helping revive an ailing Terrapins program this season.

15. Tom BradleyCURRENT JOB: Penn State defensive coordinator THE BUZZ: An assistant to Joe Paterno since 1979, Bradley is a sage defensive mind who often is mentioned as JoePa's successor.

16. Dave DoerenCURRENT JOB: Wisconsin defensive coordinator THE BUZZ: The guy oozes intensity. And he also can coach, annually making the Badgers one of the Big Ten's best defenses despite not having the same talent as schools such as Ohio State and Penn State.

17. Paul PetrinoCURRENT JOB: Illinois offensive coordinator THE BUZZ: Now that he's out of brother Bobby's formidable shadow, Paul Petrino has blossomed in making the Fighting Illini offense as productive as it has been under Ron Zook. Petrino is ultra-intense and a whirling dervish on the practice field.

18. Carl PeliniCURRENT JOB: Nebraska defensive coordinator THE BUZZ: As with brother Bo, Carl Pelini knows defense. He's excellent at finding mismatches and exploiting them. And Pelini also is a top-notch motivator who knows how to connect with players.

19. Jay NorvellCURRENT JOB: Oklahoma assistant offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach THE BUZZ: He has interviewed for several jobs and figures to eventually get one. Norvell has run offenses at UCLA and Nebraska and coached with the Raiders and Colts. He's a hard worker who is ready for the next step.

20. Todd GranthamCURRENT JOB: Georgia defensive coordinator THE BUZZ: In one season, Grantham - who came from the NFL - has started Georgia back on the road to having one of the SEC's top defenses. He installed a new 3-4 scheme, and the players feed off Grantham's energy and passion.

F*ck it. Holgorsen is making $365k. Muschamp makes $900k. Let's give Holgorsen $900k with a large budget for assistants. Save the rest for a rainy day. If he's good, give him a raise. If he's not, fire him with your rainy day money. Done and done. :lol:

Why isn't there more love for Kevin Wilson? Seems like all anyone ever mentions is Venables when talking about possible Oklahoma coordinators ready for the move up.

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And Wilson was born in this state.

I am puzzled by the lack of love towards Wilson as well...people are nuts if they believe he can't coach. He coached at Northwestern and they put up a lot of yardage despite having a losing season and that was why he was hired away from there to Norman.

I completely got Bud Foster and Jim Heacock (DC from Ohio State) confused. He would be a pretty good choice, I wonder why he hasn't been linked with any openings yet?

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If you're talking about Foster, I've always wondered why his name doesn't come up more often. Although in addition to Kentucky and Clemson as mentioned above, his name also came up for the WV opening a few years ago. I've also heard people mention that he might be in line to take over for Beamer when he retires.